Blog

Amanda Hampson Amanda Hampson

The Cryptic Clue - Review

“The Cryptic Clue is an easy, entertaining read. It goes beyond the usual cosy conventions to ignite a yearning…

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Amanda Hampson Amanda Hampson

Tea Ladies Walking Tour Surry Hills

As part of the BAD Crime Sydney Festival in 2023, there was (much to my delight!) a Tea Ladies walking tour of Surry Hills with historian, Elliot Lindsay, at Murders Most Foul.

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Amanda Hampson Amanda Hampson

Dark Matter Zine

An in-depth interview with Dark Matter Zine publisher, Nalini Hayes.

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Amanda Hampson Amanda Hampson

Penguin Noir

I was in Sydney earlier in August to attend a fabulous initiative by Penguin Random House that brought six of their crime authors together for an event.

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Amanda Hampson Amanda Hampson

Is the reign of the cream sponge over?

When I was a kid growing up on a farm, Christmas carols, concerts, dances, and farmer meetings were all held in the hall of our two-room school. The Country Women’s Association managed all social events and, at the end of the evening, a supper was served. The star of those suppers was Mrs Parnell’s light as air cream sponge.

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Amanda Hampson Amanda Hampson

Why are we still in love with Sixties fashion?

In the 1950s, women’s fashion was all about being demure, tasteful and feminine. Colour co-ordination was paramount; matching shoes, handbags, and hats. White gloves for special occasions and church. Stockings held up by suspender belts. Pierced ears were condemned as ‘cheap’, as was too much eye-makeup. There were a lot of rules.

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Amanda Hampson Amanda Hampson

Will the teapot become extinct?

When I was a kid, the phrase "There's tea in the pot" was commonly heard, meaning that tea had recently been made and kept warm by a hand-knitted tea cosy, ready for anyone who was parched. There always seemed to be a pot on the go, and tea was part of the daily rhythm of life.

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Amanda Hampson Amanda Hampson

Was the Sixties all it’s cracked up to be?

The Sixties is often referred to as the "golden age" of counterculture, characterised by hippie and ‘mod’ fashions, free love, and psychedelic music. But was it really as fun as they say or is it just a myth perpetuated by the baby boomer generation?

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Amanda Hampson Amanda Hampson

The Rise & Fall of the Tea Lady: a brief history

Tea ladies were important members of office culture from the early 20th century. They were a source of comfort, cheer providing steaming cups of tea and biscuits, to office and factory workers. But who were these tea ladies and how did they come to be a part of our workday routines?

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Amanda Hampson Amanda Hampson

Tackling the Novel

Before I attempted to write a novel myself, I always imagined that authors wrote their books an orderly fashion, meditatively gazing into the distance as they search for the perfect word and tapping out polished prose. Finally delivering a finished manuscript like a neatly clipped topiary of words. 

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Amanda Hampson Amanda Hampson

New novel out April 2023!

Very excited to announce the upcoming release (12 April 2023) of my new novel The Tea Ladies which is a fun (and funny) murder mystery set in 1965 in Sydney’s Surry Hills rag-trade district. It's about three tea ladies who get together to solve a crime.

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